Safe



Jan. 2, 1923. 1,440,948. T. McG. AIKEN.

SAFE.

FILED JUNE 20. 1921. 2 SHEETS -SHEET I.

INVENTOR wnwassss 7% a (261% Jan. 2, 1928. 1,440,948.

T. M00. AIKEN.

SAFE- FILED JUNE 20,1921. 2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

F I E. M- 8 O horizontal section ofthe safe; when closed;

, recognized by those .gect as a light-weight safe. its walls being 'valves of a.

closure or of articles.

and guidingthe parts or halves Patented J an. 2, 1923.

THOMAS MGGLAIKEN, OF PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA.

snnn.

Application filed June 20,

To all whom z't may concern: 1

Be it known that I, THOMAS MoG. AIKEN,

' residing at Pittsburgh, in the county of Allej gheny and State-of Pennsylvania, a citizen of the United States, have {invented or dis covered certain new and useful Improvements in Safes, of which improvements the following is a specification.

My invention relates to the construction of safes. I have developed it in application to a filing safe oflight-weightlclass.

.Inthe accompanying drawings Fig. I is a .view in front elevation of a safeot' my invention, standingopen; Fig. H is a plan View of the same safe in the same position, viewed from. above; Fig. 111 is a view in.

Fig. IV is a viewin horizontal section of the safe when in intermediate position, beiJWGGIL ClOS6Cl and. open, and showing also infplanguides for controlling the movement of the parts over the floor upon which the safe stands; Fig. V is a view in detail to larger scale-being asectional view on the same plane with Fig. III and showing the parts in the same relative positions as in Fig.III My invention, stated in, general terms, con sists; in a safe composed of two parts of equal sizeand proportion, and complementaryeach of the other, each constituting areceptacle for articles to be stored and protected, the two halves being 1novable',;alternately to close one upon the other, like the shell and to constitute each the door of the other half, and to open to a position in which both halves are accessible for the introduction, of and'removal ,More minutely. the invention consists in the formation of the meeting edges ofthetwo parts..orhalves, in the locking'device, and in the means for controlling in opening and closing. I I

The safe shown the drawings will'be acquainted with the subbuilt ofinner and outer plates 1 and 2 of steel with interposed filling 30f heat-insulating materlal. I

Comparison ofFigs. I-IV of the drawings twill show this safe to consist of duplicate complementary halves 4; and 5 which may stand open and accessible,as indicated in I and II, or closed, as indicated inf halves are provided and a union more ,Referring observed 0:11 this tcngueand groove formation that clearance may be provided for opening and closing v and: grooves with tapering side walls-,a feature 1921. Serial No. 478,814.

Fig. 111. l Vhen closed, each halfconstitutes the closure for the other.

The walls, as in all safes, are of substantial thickness. The meeting edges of the two with complementary tongue and groove faces. Ordinarily the meeting edges of wall and door of a safe are stepped. Compared with such a stepped engagement, the engagement of the edges ofmy safe parts, characterized by a series of tongues and grooves intermeshing and clamping is manifestly a more secure union completely fire resistant. particularly to Fig. V, it is to be by forming tongues generally advantageous; and if, as in the. case illustrated, the two, safe halves be inged'so as to openandclose'on relatively arc-shaped lines of movement, the inclining of the sidewalls of the groovesis a practical necessity. The meeting edges (which are of steel or faced with steel) will preferably be provideduwith suitable packing, and this packing willordinarily take the form of gaskets of such material as asbestos, indicated at. 6 in Fig. V, lying, when the safe isv closed, between the tips ol the tongues and the bottoms of the grooves. I I

l'locking mechanism is indicated in Fig. where, across ai'larrowspace formed 'for the purpose in the walls of the structure extend pins 7; over which suitableclamping members 8 may make engagement. Conveniently these clamping members are pivoted each on one of two companion pins 7 and are swung to and from clamping or lockingposition by handles 9. preferably have a number of these clamping devices arranged at properly spaced points along the vertical meeting edges,both at the front and at the back, as indicated bv the repeated numerals 8, Flg.

I. I As shown in Fig. Ithe clamping members for the front edges are'borne by one of the two safe parts while the clamping membersfor the rear are borne by the other part (5). This is merely-a matter of convenience. All the clamping members borne by one part be operated by a single handle (9) through operative connections which are not shown, because the supplying .of such detail is obvious. It will be observed that the lockingmechanism; both at front ,1} w ay wh infine mu e;

and rear, is arranged at the inner side of the they are eomposecl. Flames and heat frethick ai -all of the safe, here it is remote qiiently gain access to safes whieh close with from disturbance by heat and 'lronraeeess by apparently abundant -seon1'ity, eonsequent burglars. upon-the fact that under extreme ten1per The safe hal eemayheelogecl an l opene t attire condition-s, the ini ieqiial bodies of safe in any preferred manner. Orclinai'ily these and of clooi'expand unequally and edges sepa- StlUCtUTGS stand upon the floors oi huilqla' lflte which Whenoolcl had met perfectly. The ings, resting upon casters to facilitate being second chief advantage of my improved safe moved about. Since myinvention in serv'iee isth'e eeonomy of space incident to its use.

10 involves the movement of: oneat least of the Thedoors of safesnowv commonly in use ooeoinplenlentaij safe halves, with its "concupy th th 's paeein Whieh tent-s, suitable plates of tracks may be laitl to swing and spaeifiwhie1itofremain while ancleastersinwhiel [ietionis reduced m a the safe is open. My safefin the sense that inininnnn mayhe provicled, to'ttaeilitatesuch ithas no tloor; is'eoonomioalwot spaee Oi" 15 inove'inentfl The two halves be" quite conrse it mnsthaVe' room ton 'opening but intlepen'elentone off ano h r; X' p fwl i once open there isnospaee oeeupiectby' the museaeylack ng nieehaniein, and the two "th l d "ivF pt1'j d e3 ii n g 1 6d a le jt aigcllt e' a ml myb a strnetio'n, the other of the construction of 20 a L edto intlehnite phstanees, orlz-liehclinec- 'i v nti gaf tho ghihalf 1 18 5 tio n ancl of relative movement may has doublethe 'openingmf the 'oth'er. Let e efine lfal leo t olled by'flsuituble gnieles, this fact betakenin"co-nnectiomwith the acl: ji'nnways or, stops. Conveniently, the reladiti fl; fa t th t 5. qnare shape in eross 1 375 v il tv 0f the have? my seotion as cli'stingnishecliti'dm elongate t ld n f a I Hik r th 113N915 Ware g advantageous shape fronithe point of view ge ennecL9 qq ent1y ela i o m J of accessibility, but as affording y'greatest up u a'r lm s, en aifn mes; probation against fima ithen the absolute q ancl' aehasfloeen eitplaineth -th tongue and a an ag f impfved cb r 'tm tig ii gz boiieji i et e o3? the! meetin edgesiot this re arclWill heappaient. Finallyg the+9 5 theme lm i e willy a p to safe Oi m invention is' relati irely burglar pennant-" 119b m Y en (it theili lvesfl n probe, 1301* the reasonthattwo "-rheinbeiis of e i'enlal hnes Qne halfmay siting (traviflial Weight, ora prexiinatiys'ofha'vew l sl'lOYVIl I have shown both halyes swinging '1? a a a T a W dY'blow o pentherelative t ea e em iilQ lf-a lat e mem -clinarv Safe. n a g1n1cles1arela cltlotyvn both otthen stpalght 'soi n efi' staneesflhe cls'iiiable ,tO

iwmenwi th mz ts ca te i'forinithe'two Safe msof cliiferent clepthe beefing h n tlpa ws ei'tl e tw wire in this been therewil eeome, "small deema t -1 r an ed mmert e l 11 ben nEu-mi-omthe man eohstriiction alfeadji'tle t e b ewwlihe 11 1 Stu ull tQnjd selibn the essential a t i ht an e he rea end of. th m daniif-epets will gui e firstm nt n m 1 1 it he w the ltlepai nlre :trorh the ideal W111 ,'be merely feature 1 of eimnant owevei fenialnyand lal a. my

ill $9 le erage a tli n ha-long mnd l twinlfili ee C P Q E 91 0 t n ebeniyotedf o;h ebutotthe l thehamb fet I a i ,Lmnipt r osed;heat. 6 mthl iby er i m said units arranged interioi'ly of the heat insnlating bod; of. the safe and adapted to swing adjacent to and in a plane parallel to the inner steel plate which constitutes the safe wall, means exterior of the safe wall for swinging said clamping member, and a memher borne by the other unit and adapted when the units are closed to be engaged by .said clamping member in the range of its folthe other, and hinged together, the

ring on and moving meeting edge to edge and constituting closures each structure so defined resting on guides, such guides consisting of two rectilinear parts meeting at right angles in the form of a letter T, the safe at its two rear corners resting on and in opening and closing moving along the guide part which constitutes the cross bar of the T, and the point of hinging restalong the guide part which'constitutes the stem of the T.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand.

' THOMAS Moe. AIKEN.

fitnesses:

- BAYARD H. CHRISTY,.

FRANCIS J. TOMASSON. 

